Broken Circle project by Karen Klein

Broken Circle–Children of Divorce project – through the intimate pairing of portraits with personal narratives by young adults whose parents have divorced, Karen Klein explores the ever present and persisting issue of divorce in our society.

The project gives voice to young adults talking about how their parents’ divorce impacted their lives – then and now. It offers a powerful, succinct testament to how young people navigate the complex emotional seas of divorce. This is not pro or con divorce, but a vehicle to enlighten and inform people who can most benefit by it.
Broken Circle–Children of Divorce also includes interview commentary from professionals in Mental Health, Sociology, Legal/Judicial and Academia. It is an important tool to help the children of divorce, their parents, therapists, counselors, and the judicial system and academia to understand the unintentional consequences of divorce upon children.

“Existing programs and materials often come across as preachy and difficult to access,” said Nancy Zalusky Berg, a family practice attorney at Walling Berg & Debele. “The importance of Karen Klein’s Broken Circle project is that it simply and effectively conveys the consequences children often experience.”

The project unveils the lasting influence of parental divorce on the lives of young men and women. It is evident that this has been a therapeutic journey for the young men and women who participated in this project. We don’t give young people a place to express themselves about the long shadow that divorce casts on their lives, especially divorce not handled well by the parents. The Broken Circle project opens up that opportunity, as the participant’s bold declarations will undoubtedly serve as a call to others to face the challenging history of a family divorce.

Karen Klein is a photographer/visual artist. She holds an MFA degree in studio arts from the University of Minnesota, where, in 1987, she undertook the photography project that would more than two decades later lead to Broken Circle—Children of Divorce. Klein proudly chose her alma mater for the debut exhibition of Broken Circle–Children of Divorce.

Karen Klein: Broken Circle–Children of Divorce project – http://www.brokencircleproject.org